Mechanical grate-charging device



A. E. WECK Aug. 22, 1933.

MECHANICAL GRATE CHARGING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 22. 1928 Aug. 22, 1933. w 1,923,246

MECHANICAL GRATE CHARGING DEVICE Filed March 22, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 22, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Alexander Erwin Week, Dolau, Germany vApplication March 22, 1928, Serial No. 263,818,

and in Germany December 17, 1927 4 Claims (01. 110-113) This invention refers to mechanical grate charging devices, and in particular to means for the raising or rocking upwards of the charging or throwing shovel disposed in the stoking open- 5 ing or stoking neck employed in connection with such charging device, and it is intended to devise novel and simple means of facilitating the operation and raising of the shovel and of retaining it in such position. With a view of simplifying the operating meansfor efiecting the said upward rocking movement of the shovel, and of thereby avoiding the raising and upward swinging of various other members which would otherwise interfere with the upward rocking movement it has already been suggested by me in my previous copending application, Serial No. 189,092, Patent No. 1,760,572, to render the operating spring inoperative with regard to the fuel-throwing shovel by providing coupling throwing shovel referred to;

Another very simple device for this purpose is the object of this invention, now to be described, with the additional advantage that it will satisfy other requirements and preliminary conditions which are to be taken'into account in the moving of the charging shovel in the manner referred to. Thus, it is necessary for instance to first render the gratefeeding means inoperative, so as to prevent the lever mounted upon' the shaft of the throwing shovel from becoming engaged with and bearing vertically against the i'ctain'g tensiom'ng cam or lug in the upward rocking operation, which would result in the breaking of the driving mechanism.

Now in view thereof, and in accordance with my invention means are provided for relieving the tension of the springs of the charging and throwing shovel the rocking upwards of which will thereby be greatly facilitated. This untensioning device in accordance with this invention is actuated during the operation of the grate charging means, so that the said grate charging 4 and feeding means may be stopped before the rocking upwards of the throwing shovel. For

this purpose the locking and arresting means of the tension relieving device is operatively and positively connected to the coupling means, ar-

5 ranged in advance of the grate feeding means and in such amanner that the tension relieving device is locked to the coupling means of the grate charging and feeding means.

The invention will be more particularly described by reference to the accompanying drawings, showing in, Figure. 1, a front view of a means between the driving springs and: the,

grate feeding device with the casing for the driving gear in section.

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 'II II of Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a side view of the grade feeder.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section similar to Fig. 3 showing the parts in the same poe sition.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation similar to Fig. 1 showing the mounting of the springs.

Fig.. 6 is an' enlarged fragmentary section similar to Fig. 2.

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary side elevation, partly broken away, showing the connection between the door locking lever and the rod connected with the driving gear and the tension relieving device.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevation, partly in section, showing the clutch opcrating bar in detail. 7

Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail view with parts broken away showing the guiding plate and operating bar therefor.

Fig. 10 is a vertical section on the line 10l0 of Fig. 9.

The handlever a in its position shown in Figurel in which it is positioned in front of the door 27 causes this doorto be locked. The said handlever a is mounted on a shaft :1: and-connected by an arm w and bar e to the clutch coupling d disposed between the driving means and the grate charging means, the arrangement being such that theclutch coupling in the position according to Figure 1 in which the hand lever a locks the door b'for manual firing, is in the operative position, so that by means of the coupling the grate feeding device may be operated. When it is desired to reach the fire F through the door I), the lever 11 is rocked side- 0 ways, which causes the clutch coupling d to be disengaged, so asto stop the operation of the grate feeding means. The bar e is also connected with the spring untensioning device. The untensioningof the spring is effected by the lever f (shown in Figure 6), the said lever being pushed from the position shown in Figures 1 and 2, into the horizontal position according to Figure 3. By this means the lower point of attachment of the throwing springs 'is raised and the tension of the springs is relieved.

To the lever which is rcckingly'disposed on the pivot g of the bracket g the member h is connected for this purpose and is likewise l rockingly mounted on the pivot g. To the memher h the throwing springs are operatively connected at i; they are untensioned upon the rocking downwards of the lever f in view of the raising of the point i. To the member 72. by means of the stud k a link [is pivotally connected, thereby linking the member h to the displaceably disposed bar m. This bar m carries two lugs 12. and (see also Figures 9 and 10) When the bar m is raised the lug n becomes engaged with the stud or bolt p which is secured to the throwing spring-lever q, thereby rocking said lever q and the shaft of the throwing shovel by means of the bar m in the cl'ock wise direction and in consequence thereof the throwing shovel T which is mounted in the throwing box, is rocked upwards and towards the inside. The lug o of the bar m however,

upon the rising of the bar m strikes against the lever s which is connected to the coal-conducting plate t, so that thisplate is swung upwards.

The link Z carries a shoulder or an extension 'u and the bar m carries a'similar shoulder or extension 1). The shoulder 12 cooperates with the locking bar e which in its locking position becomes engaged with a hole of the extension or shoulder 12, so as to prevent the raising of the bar m, and in view thereof the lever f cannot be rocked. In the locking position of the bare the several elements, as already stated above, will assume the position of the several parts, shown in Figure 1, in which position the firedoor b is locked by the lever a.

In operation the grate feeder is thrown out oi operation by the lever 11. By this means the locking bar 6 is withdrawn from the hole of the projection v, and the throwing shovel 1' becomes free t'o be swung upwards by the lever in the manner described. When the throwing shovel is raised the projection u will take the place of the projection ii. The said projection 14 does not possess a hole for the bar e, so that the lever a cannot be swung in the direction of the fire-door, and the grate feeding means cannot be coupled with the operating mechanism, because the bar e cannot enter the projection u on account of the lacking of the perforation therein. Only when the apertured projectionv is placed in alignment with the bar 6, that is to say, when the throwing shovel 7 has again assumed its operative position, the grate feeding and'charging means can beoperated. The coal-guiding plate t will then drop back into its operative position by the action of its own weight, and the throwing shovel is returned to its operative position by the tensioning of the, springs.

It is to be understood that various modifications may be made in the construction and arrangements of parts, and it is not intended to limit the invention beyond the terms of the appended claims and the requirements of the prior art. 1

I claim:--

1. In combination, a fire box having a firing opening and a door therefor, swinging charging means arranged to project fuel through said firing opening and into the fire box said charging means being mounted to rock, so that it can be swung in the direction of the fuel projection clear of the firing opening to inoperative position to aiford free and uninterrupted access to the fire box after said door has been opened, operating springs for the charging means, power operated means to rock the charging means against the tension of said springs, means to relieve the tension of said springs to permit said charging means being rocked to said inoperative position.

2. In combination, a fire box having a firing opening and a door therefor, a swinging charging shovel mounted to project fuel through said firing opening and into the fire box, and to rock so thatit can be swung in the direction of the fuel projection clear of the firing opening to inoperative position to afiord free and uninterrupted access to the fire box after said door has been opened, an operating lever, operating springs for the shovel, acting on the lever, said lever being rigidly connected with the shovel, power operated means to rock the shovel against the tension of said springs, a rockable fuel guiding member, means to relieve the tension of said springs, a vertically slidable bar member ing means being mounted'to rock, so that it can i be swung in the direction of the fuel projection clear of the firing opening to inoperative position to afford free and uninterrupted access to the fire box. after said door has been opened,

operating springs for the charging means, power operated means to rock the charging means against the tension of said springs, means to relieve the tension of said springs and to rock said charging means to said inoperative position, a clutch device mountedbetween the'power operated means and the charging means and adapted to engageand disengage the power means and the charging means, and locking means for the tension relieving means carried by the tension relieving means and associated with the clutch device so as to prevent engagementof the clutch device while the tension relieving means is in operative position.

4. In combination, a fire box having a firing opening and a door therefor, locking means for the door, swinging charging means arranged to project iuel through the firing opening and into the fire box, said charging means being mounted to rock, so that it can be swung in the direction of the fuel projection clear of the firing opening .to inoperative position to afford free and uninoperative position, a clutch device mounted between the power operated means and the charging means and adapted to engage and disengage the power means and the charging means, looking means for the tension relieving means, said locking means and said clutch device being associated with the door locking means in such a manner that by'the operation of the door locking means the clutch'device and the relieving means are positively controlled so as to prevent engagement of the clutch device while the tension relieving means is in operative position.

ALEXANDER ERWIN WECK.

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